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Friday, May 27, 2005

"Hello It's Me"

The first song I blogged here was Todd Rundgren's "I Saw the Light", and this is probably the right moment to write about his other sure-fire, slam-dunk contender for the Ultimate Three-Minute Pop Song. This is Carole King, Neil Sedaka, The La's, the Beatles, Stevie Wonder and Lord knows who else, wrapped up into one shining lump of perfection. The best songs are the simplest, and they don't get much simpler than this, you'd think. But if you listen a few times, there is so damn much going on in here... the melody is straight out of the Brill Building circa 1965, the harmonies are so good it hurts - listen to the voices singing "Think of me" at the start of the third verse, and I swear you'll not find a better harmony moment. This is a fallen-out-of-love-song, but one that can't quite let go: "Think of me/You know that I'd be with you if I could/I'll come around to see you once in a while/Or if I ever need a reason to smile/And spend the night if you think I should." And, being the anorak I am, I enjoy the fact that this song was recorded live and both before and after the song, you can hear the musicians laughing, joking, fluffing the beginning. One of the backing singers confesses at the end: "I think I'm falling in love with the singer." What better song to fall back into love to?